23-year-old Halsey is known for her singing talent. Any fan of Halsey knows that she has a way with words due to her spectacular ability to write and compose songs. However, no one was prepared for the eloquent speech or rather a poem, that she presented at the Women’s March in New York. Here, she boldly stood up in front of thousands to make her voice heard.
Halsey explains that her childhood was less than ideal, which is why she is fighting furiously to make a change in the lives of women everywhere. She is one of the many women who has been a victim of sexual assault and abuse. In her speech she explains that at 14-years-old, she held the hand of her best friend Sam in a Planned Parenthood waiting room, tears falling silently down her cheeks, scared for her friend’s future as if it were her own. Sam could not afford an abortion and she definitely could not afford the guilt of telling her parents. There are endless amounts of stories like Halsey’s, “and every friend that I know has a story like mine, and the world tells me we should take it as a compliment”, she states passionately.
At 17, she started to date an older man that she fell in love with…or so she thought. Her song “Hold Me Down” explains how he abused her physically and emotionally by forcing her into sexual activity. “You can’t put your hands on me, you don’t know what my body has been through”, she says in her speech. Severe trust issues started to arise after he mistreated her. She will not be held down in this case because she fiercely wants to be the voice for those who are too young or whose voices are too shaky to speak out.
For too long, women have been fighting for rights that have not yet been granted. Females face too much pressure from trying to live up to media’s standards that it starts to destroy their autonomy. “But we are not free until all of us are free, so love your neighbor, please treat her kindly. Ask her her story and then shut up and listen”. Too often, we are so quick to talk about ourselves because that is the easiest thing to talk about in an uncomfortable situation. The way that we can come together loudly is by listening silently. When she (whether that be a grandma, aunt, sister, friend, daughter, etc) is talking, listen to her intently, and ask her questions that ricochet back to her conversation. Sometimes silence serves a greater purpose beyond giving an opinion. Stop gossiping and talking about something that you disagreed with. She is her own person and you are you. Like an artist who has a meaning behind her artwork, listen carefully because her story can often have a deeper meaning than what she is trying to portray, her artwork will leave you in awe.
Since Halsey’s music has become more well known, she has made her messages about life clear. She will not quit fighting until the war of equality is over. Strong women have the capability to speak up when something is not right. Listen carefully before speaking and embrace other women for their beauty.
Image:
https://metrouk2.files.wordpress.com/2018/01/pri_66312746-e1516561972116…